Foldable sheet material

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a foldable sheet material ( 2 ) comprising a first set of concertina folds ( 4 ) defining a plurality of full segments of the sheet material, at which folds the sheet material can be folded and unfolded, wherein the sheet material is provided with a first segment of the sheet which, when the sheet is in a folded configuration, is an outermost segment ( 8 ) of the folded sheet material, and wherein at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment, when the sheet material in the folded configuration.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to foldable sheet materials, regardless of whether in a folded or unfolded condition, and to sheet articles.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

It is known to provide foldable sheet material having a first set of concertina folds (which term means that the folds are alternately towards and away from the front of the sheet). It is also known to provide foldable sheet material having a first set of vertical concertina folds and a second set of horizontal concertina folds, as exemplified in WO-A-87/04284.

It is also known to provide stiff portions which extend over one corner or two diagonally opposite corners of the folded sheet material. Thus when the folded sheet material is in the folded configuration, the stiff portions provide one or two covers, under or between which the folded sheet material is protected.

When a stiff portion is not present on the folded sheet material a disadvantage inherent in the folded material is that the edges of the uppermost and lowermost portions of the folded sheet are substantially parallel and flush with the edges of the adjacent portions within the folded material. It is therefore difficult for a user to grasp the edges of the uppermost and lowermost portions and unfold the folded sheet material by pulling on those portions.

The use of stiff portions located on the uppermost and lowermost portion alleviates the disadvantage but the cost of manufacturing and affixing the stiff portions to the sheet material considerably increases production costs.

It is therefore an aim of preferred embodiments of the present invention to overcome or mitigate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, whether expressly disclosed herein or not.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention in a first aspect there is provided a foldable sheet material comprising a first set of concertina folds defining a plurality of full segments in the sheet material, at which folds the sheet material can be folded and unfolded, wherein the sheet material is provided with a first segment of the sheet which when the sheet is in a folded configuration is an outermost segment of the folded sheet material, and wherein at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment, when the sheet material is in the folded configuration.

Preferably the first segment is the outermost segment when the sheet material is in the fully folded configuration. Thus when the sheet material is fully folded about all of the folds, the first segment is an outermost segment of the sheet material.

Preferably the at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment when the sheet material is in the fully folded configuration.

Suitably the at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than its adjacent segment, when the sheet material is in the fully folded configuration.

By concertina folds we mean folds that are alternately towards and away from the front of the sheet.

Thus when the folded sheet material is in the fully folded configuration a user may grasp the first segment by a shortened edge. The shortened edge can be positioned such that the user's fingers and/or thumbs can slide across the adjacent segment and under the edge without the need to substantially separate the edge of the first segment from an edge of the adjacent segment.

The first segment may be shorter in width, length or both width and length, than a full segment when the sheet material is in the folded configuration.

Preferably the first segment comprises a handle portion, which, when the sheet material is in the folded configuration, is presented out of the plane of the first segment. Alternatively the handle portion may be presented in towards the first segment, when the sheet material is in the folded configuration.

The handle portion may comprise a folded portion of a full segment.

The handle portion may be a separately connected handle portion.

The first segment may thus itself comprise a handle portion, and thus the segment to which it is attached will then not constitute the first segment of the sheet material, but rather the handle portion constitutes the first segment. In embodiments where the handle portion comprises the first segment, the handle portion is shorter in at least one dimension than the segment to which it is connected.

The sheet material may comprise a second segment of the sheet, which, when the sheet is in the folded configuration, forms an outermost segment not comprising the first segment of the folded sheet, wherein at least a portion of the second segment is shorter in at least one dimension that a full segment in a folded configuration. The second segment is preferably as described for the first segment.

Alternatively, the sheet material may comprise a segment which forms an outermost segment of the sheet when the sheet is in the folded configuration, and which includes a stiff portion connected thereto. Preferably the stiff portion is larger than the segment in at least one dimension, and preferably is larger in both width and length. Suitably the stiff portion comprises a stiff card or stiff plastics portion.

In an alternative embodiment, the sheet material may be connected to the inside of a hinged cover, the sheet material being connected such that, when the sheet is in the folded configuration, the first segment is an outermost segment presented from the inside of the cover.

Preferably the sheet material comprises a second set of folds, and more preferably comprise a second set of concertina folds, transverse to the first set of folds.

Preferably the first and second sets of folds are perpendicular to each other.

In preferred embodiments in which the sheet material comprises a second set of folds, at least a portion of the first and, when present, second segments, as described hereinabove, are shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment when the sheet material is folded about both the first and second set of folds, in the fully folded configuration.

In preferred embodiments in which the sheet material comprises a second set of folds, the first and, when present, second segments, as described hereinabove, are an or the outermost segment(s) of the sheet material, when the sheet material is in the fully folded configuration.

Suitably the sheet material is a rectangular sheet material, but may be any suitable shape.

Suitably, either the first or second set of folds comprises an even number of folds, and the other of the first or second set of folds comprises an odd number of folds.

However, by experiment we have found that the most suitable folding for a rectangular sheet having first and second sets of folds, comprises both the first set of folds and the second set of folds both having an even number of folds or both having an odd number of folds.

The invention is particularly suited to printed sheet material intended to be carried round in the pocket, for which purpose the folds may divide the sheet material into segments of about 4 to 8 cm width and 6 to 12 cm length. It is preferred that the sheet material, in the folded configuration should be credit-card sized, that is with the folds dividing the material into segments of about 5 to 5½ cm width by 8 to 8½ cm length.

The sheet material may, during folding thereof, be folded first about the first set of folds and then the second set of folds, or vice versa.

In preferred embodiments the sheet material is paper, but in other embodiments the sheet material may be a paper-like material such as plastics, or thin card, for example. It is conceivable that the sheet material may be stiff except at the folds, for example cards interconnected by paper, cloth or the like at the folds.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a sheet article comprising a cover comprising hingedly connected first and second surfaces, wherein a foldable sheet material is connected to the inside of the first and second surfaces of the cover, the sheet material comprising a first set of concertina folds defining a plurality of full segments of the sheet material, about which folds the sheet material can be folded and unfolded, and wherein the sheet material is provided with a first segment of the sheet which, when the sheet is in a folded configuration, and when the cover is opened, is an outermost segment of the sheet presented from the cover, wherein at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment, in the folded configuration.

Preferably the sheet material is as described for the first aspect of the invention.

Reference to “fully folded configuration” in the specification, means the sheet material has been folded about all of the folds present in the sheet material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For a better understanding of the invention and to better understand how embodiments of the same may be put into practice, the invention will now be described by way of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates a first embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration;

FIG. 1B illustrates an end view of the sheet material of FIG. 1A in a folded configuration;

FIG. 2A illustrates a second embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration;

FIG. 2B illustrates an end view of the sheet material of FIG. 2A in a folded configuration.

FIG. 3A illustrates a third embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration.

FIG. 3B illustrates an end view of the sheet material of FIG. 3A in a folded configuration;

FIG. 4A illustrates a fourth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration;

FIG. 4B illustrates an end view of the sheet material of FIG. 4A in a folded configuration;

FIG. 5A illustrates a fifth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration;

FIG. 5B illustrates an end view of the sheet material of FIG. 5A in a folded configuration;

FIG. 6A illustrates a sixth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration;

FIG. 6B illustrates an end view of the sheet material of FIG. 6A in a folded configuration;

FIG. 7A illustrates a seventh embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration;

FIG. 7B illustrates a plan view of the sheet material of FIG. 7A, with the sheet in a folded configuration;

FIG. 8 illustrates an eighth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration.

FIG. 9A illustrates a ninth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded state.

FIG. 9B illustrates an end view of the sheet material of FIG. 9A in a folded configuration.

FIG. 10A illustrates a tenth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded state.

FIG. 10B illustrates an end view of the sheet material of FIG. 10A in a folded configuration.

FIG. 11A illustrates an eleventh embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded state.

FIG. 11B illustrates an end view of the sheet material of FIG. 11A in a folded configuration.

FIG. 12 illustrates a twelfth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded state.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring firstly to FIGS. 1A and 1B a sheet material 2 of the invention comprises a generally rectangular sheet 3 defined by spaced apart pairs of edges 5 and 9, and having a first set of five concertina folds 4 and perpendicular to the folds 4, a second set of two concertina folds 6. Thus the sheet 3 is divided up into segments in six columns and three rows. The right-hand peripheral column 7 has a shorter width than the other five columns (such that five of the columns include full segments, whereas the peripheral column 7 includes thinner segments), and includes a first segment in the form of the corner segment 8 which, when the sheet 3 is in a folded configuration is arranged to be an outermost segment of the folded sheet material, as illustrated in FIG. 1B.

In use the sheet material 2 is folded up by firstly concertina folding the sheet 3 about the fold lines 4 to stack the six columns on one another such that the corner segment 8 of the peripheral column 7 is located as the upper outermost (or lower outermost segment, depending on the way the folded sheet is presented) on the fully folded stack.

The sheet 3 is then concertina folded about the second set of folds 6 such that the sheet forms a stack in which all the segments are stacked on one another, and such that the corner segment 8 of the peripheral column is located uppermost (or lowermost) on the stack, as illustrated in FIG. 1B.

When it is desired to unfold the folded sheet, a user grasps the corner segment 8, located uppermost (or lowermost) on the stack and, holding onto the other of the lowermost or uppermost segments of the stack, pulls the segment 8 outwardly of the stack to unfold the sheet.

As the segment 8 has a shorter width than the adjacent segment 18 in the stack, a user may easily slide his or her fingers under the segment 8 without the need to first separate the edges of the segment 8 from the edges of the adjacent segment 18.

The action of folding and unfolding may be repeated as desired.

We refer now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, which illustrate a sheet material 2 similar to that shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Like numerals represent like features. In this embodiment the corner segment 8 comprises a portion 10 which is folded about a fold line 12.

Use of the embodiment of FIGS. 2A and 2B is essentially the same as described for the embodiment of FIG. 1A and 1B, except that when the corner segment 8 is located uppermost or lowermost in the stack, the folded portion 10 is presented substantially out of the stack such that a user may easily grasp the presented portion 10 in order to unfold, and then refold if desired, the sheet 3. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B it is considered that the folded portion 10 is the first segment which is outermost in the fully folded sheet, as claimed for the sheet material of the invention.

In alternative embodiments of the sheet material shown in FIG. 2A and 2B, the fold line 12 may be replaced by a perforation line or a visual indicator line, about which a user may fold the portion 10. The portion 10 may also be folded about the fold line 12 such that it is folded towards the adjacent segment 7 in the folded configuration, and is thus presented into the stack.

We refer now to FIG. 3A and 3B, which illustrate a sheet material similar to that shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Like numerals represent like features. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a stiff portion 14 is connected to the outside of the corner segment 13 which is diagonally opposite the corner segment 8.

Use of the embodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B is essentially the same as that described for the embodiment of FIG. 1A and 1B. In use, when the sheet 3 is folded, the stiff portion is located at the lowermost (or uppermost) segment of the stack, as illustrated in FIG. 3B. The stiff portion, being slightly larger than the underlying segments in the stack is relatively easy to grasp by a user and assists in the user unfolding and refolding the sheet 3 when desired, by providing a relatively large area to hold. The stiff portion 14 also provides a covering portion which decreases the likelihood of damage to the folded sheet 3 due to handling, liquid spillages or the like.

Instead of a stiff portion, in other embodiments the sheet may be connected to the inside of a hinged cover such that the lowermost or uppermost segment of the stack not comprising the corner segment 8 is connected to the cover, which cover may be closed round the sheet when stacked in the folded configuration.

We refer now to FIGS. 4A and 4B which illustrate a sheet material 2 similar to that shown in FIG. 1A and 1B. Like numerals represent like features. In this embodiment, the peripheral column 15 located on the opposite side of the sheet to the first peripheral column 7, also has a width shorter than that of its adjacent column.

Use of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A and 4B is almost identical to that described for the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and 1B. When the sheet 3 is folded to the folded configuration, as shown in FIG. 4B, the corner segment 16 of the peripheral column 15 is located at the lowermost or uppermost segment, and the corner segment 8 is located as the other of the lowermost or uppermost segment. Thus both the lowermost and uppermost segments 8 and 16 have a width shorter than their respective adjacent segments 18 and 20, and a user may insert his or her fingers or thumb under the corner segments 8 and 16 without the need to attempt to separate their edges from the edge of the adjacent segments 18 and 20.

We refer now to FIGS. 5A and 5B which illustrate an embodiment of the sheet material of the invention very similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B. In this embodiment the opposite corner segments 8 and 16 are shorter in both length and width than the segment in their respective adjacent columns. Thus in use, when the sheet 3 is folded into the fully folded configuration the uppermost and lowermost segments 8 and 16 are shorter in both length and width than their adjacent segments 18 and 20 in the stack.

We refer now to FIGS. 6A and 6B which illustrate a sheet material 2 similar to that shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Like numerals represent like features. In this embodiment, the peripheral column 7, when the sheet material is in the unfolded configuration, has a width equal to that of its adjacent column. The peripheral column 7 includes a secondary fold line 26 which separates the column 7 into two sub-columns 22 and 24, each having a width of one-half of a standard segment of the sheet 3.

In use, when the sheet material 2 is folded into its folded configuration, as shown in FIG. 6B, the peripheral column 7 is folded about the fold line 26 such that the sub-column 24 at segment 8 is oriented as the outermost portion of the sheet 3, lying on top of sub-column 22. Thus, as the sub-columns have a width of one half of a standard segment of the sheet 3, the outermost segment formed by the folded sub-column 24, is formed as a concertina-folded first segment presented out of the stack of full segments and half-segment 31, of the folded sheet 3, as shown in FIG. 6B.

We refer now to FIG. 7, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of a sheet material 2 of the invention. The sheet material 2 comprises a rectangular sheet 3 defined by edges 5 and 9, and having a first set of 5 concertina folds 4 and perpendicular to the folds 4, a second set of a single concertina fold 6. Thus the sheet 3 is divided up into six columns and two rows. The right-hand outer peripheral column 7 has a shorter width than the other four columns, and comprises two segments 8, one on each row of the sheet, separated by the fold line 6.

The sheet 3 is connected to the inside of a hinged cover 28. The hinged cover 28 comprises first 30 and second 32 surfaces which are hingedly connected by a fold 34 therebetween. The left peripheral column 36 of the sheet comprises upper 37 and lower 39 segments separated by the fold line 6 of the sheet. The upper segment 37 is connected to the inside of the first surface 30 of the cover 28, and the lower segment 39 is connected to the second surface 32 of the cover 28 such that the fold line 6 between the segments is located directly above and extending along the fold 34 of the cover 28.

In use, the sheet 3 is concertina folded such that the concertina-folded upper row of the sheet is located above the first surface 30 of the cover, and the lower row of the sheet is located above the second surface 32. The shortened width segments 8 of the peripheral column 7 are located as the outermost segments of the stack above both the first 30 and second 32 surfaces of the cover 28, as shown in FIG. 7B. The cover 28 can be closed by rotating the first 30 and second 32 surfaces about the fold line 34. As the cover 28 is closed the sheet 3 will fold about the fold line 6 such that the outer segments 8 abut.

The cover 28 can then be opened to present the segments 8 as the outermost segments of the stack, which can then be grasped by the user, and pulled to unfold the sheet 3 to present the five regular columns and one shortened width column.

We refer now to FIG. 8 which illustrates an embodiment of a sheet material 2 of the invention which is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. Like numerals represent like features. In this embodiment the segments 8 and 16, which in the folded configuration form the uppermost and lowermost segments of the folded sheet 3, comprise tabs which extend from their respective adjacent segments 18 and 20. The tabs 8 and 16 do not form a continuous surface with the remainder of their respective peripheral columns 7 and 15, and are spaced apart from their adjacent segments of the columns, as illustrated in FIG. 8. The tabs 8 and 16 have both a width and length shorter than their adjacent full segments 18 and 20 in the stack when the sheet 3 is in the fully folded configuration.

In an alternative embodiment to that shown in FIG. 8, the tabs 8 and 16 can have a width equal to the width of their adjacent segments 18 and 20 in their respective peripheral columns.

We refer now to FIG. 9A and 9B which illustrate a sheet material 2 similar to that shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. Like numerals represent like features. In this embodiment, the corner segments 18 of the peripheral right hand column 7 includes a fold line 26 diagonally bisecting the corner segment 18 such that the free corner portion bisected by the fold line 26 forms the first segment 8 of the sheet material 2. Thus in use, when the sheet 3 is folded into the folded configuration, the outermost segment 18 is folded about fold line 26 such that the corner segment 8, forming the first segment as claimed in the invention, is presented either into or out of the plane of the segment 18.

We refer now to FIGS. 10A and 10B which illustrate an embodiment of the sheet material similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Like numerals represent like features. In this embodiment, the peripheral column 7 has a width equal to that of its adjacent column it includes a first segment in the form of the corner segment 8 in which a curved sector has been removed from the free corner thereof. Thus, the first segment 8 has a portion which includes a width and length shorter than the adjacent segment 18, when the sheet 3 is in the fully folded configuration, as shown in FIG. 10B.

We refer now to FIGS. 11A and 11B, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention similar to that described for FIGS. 1A and 1B. Like numerals represent like components. In this embodiment the peripheral column 7 has a width equal to its adjacent column and the upper right corner segment 18 is dimensioned identically to its adjacent segment when in the folded configuration. The corner segment 18 includes a handle portion 8 which forms the first segment of the sheet material 2 of this embodiment. In use, when the sheet material 2 is in the folded configuration, as shown in FIG. 11B, the handle portion 8 is presented out of the plane of its adjacent segment 18, and has a width and length shorter than the adjacent segment 18. Thus, the handle portion in this embodiment forms the first segment as described for the invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates a twelfth embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention and a second embodiment of the sheet article of the second aspect of the invention, and is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. Like numerals represent like components. In this embodiment the sheet material is attached to a cover comprising first 14 and second 30 stiff portions, hingedly connected by a fold line 52 between the stiff portions 14, 30. The sheet material is attached to the first stiff portion 14, as described for the embodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B. Use of the embodiment shown in FIG. 12 is similar to that of FIGS. 3A and 3B, with the exception that once the sheet material 2 is folded into the fully folded configuration such that the first segment 8 is outermost in the folded stack, the second stiff portion 30 is folded abut the fold line 32 to close the cover such that the sheet material is sandwiched between the stiff portion 14, 30.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless express stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extend to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. 

1. A foldable sheet material comprising a first set of concertina folds defining a plurality of full segments of the sheet material, at which folds the sheet material can be folded and unfolded, wherein the sheet material is provided with a first segment of the sheet which, when the sheet is in a folded configuration, is an outermost segment of the folded sheet material, and wherein at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment, when the sheet material in the folded configuration.
 2. A foldable sheet material, wherein the first segment is shorter in width, length or both width and length, than a full segment when the sheet material is in the folded configuration.
 3. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first segment comprises a handle portion, which, when the sheet material is in the folded configuration, is presented out of the plane of the first segment.
 4. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first segment comprises a handle portion, which, when the sheet material is in the folded configuration is presented in towards the first segment.
 5. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 3, wherein the handle portion comprises a folded portion of a full segment.
 6. A foldable sheet material as claimed claim 1, wherein the sheet material comprises a second segment of the sheet, which, when the sheet is in the folded configuration, forms an outermost segment not comprising the first segment of the folded sheet, and wherein at least a portion of the second segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment in the folded configuration.
 7. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sheet material comprises a second segment of the sheet, which, when the sheet is in the folded configuration, forms an outermost segment not comprising the first segment of the folded sheet, and wherein at least a portion of the second segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment in the folded configuration, wherein the second segment is as described for the first segment in claim
 2. 8. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet material comprises a segment which forms an outermost segment of the sheet when the sheet is in the folded configuration, and which includes a stiff portion connected thereto.
 9. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 8, wherein the stiff portion is larger than the segment in at least one dimension.
 10. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 8, wherein the stiff portion comprises a stiff card or stiff plastics material.
 11. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet material is connected to the inside of a hinged cover, the sheet material being connected such that, when the sheet is in the folded configuration, the first segment is an outermost segment presented from the inside of the cover.
 12. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet material comprises a second set of folds.
 13. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first and second sets of folds are perpendicular to each other.
 14. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 12, wherein both the first and second sets of folds comprise an even number of folds, or both the first and second set of folds comprise an odd number of folds.
 15. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet material, in the folded configuration, is substantially credit card sized.
 16. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sheet material is paper.
 17. A foldable sheet material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first segment is an outermost segment when the sheet material is in the fully folded configuration.
 18. A sheet article comprising a cover comprising hingedly connected first and second surfaces, where in a foldable sheet material is connected to the inside of cover, the sheet material comprising a first set of concertina folds defining a plurality of full segments of the sheet material, about which folds the sheet material can be folded and unfolded, and wherein the sheet material is provided with a first segment of the sheet, which when the sheet is in a folded configuration, and when the cover is opened, is an outermost segment of the sheet presented form the cover, wherein at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment in the folded configuration.
 19. (Cancelled)
 20. (Cancelled)
 21. (Cancelled) 